


Enough For Now

by blackcoffeeandteardrops



Category: The X-Files
Genre: AU sort of, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 02:20:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8427274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackcoffeeandteardrops/pseuds/blackcoffeeandteardrops
Summary: Inspired by a fic prompt on tumblr. A plot bunny that got away from me a little bit. Set roughly eight months or so after season 10, and hopefully not that far from the truth.





	

When Scully brought in the flyer advertising for the local county fair, she never expected anything to come of it. She’d laid it on the table with the other junk mail she’d go through whenever she had the time, taking care to save any coupons that might prove useful. But when William sat at the table one night for dinner, he pulled it from the stack, talking about how back in Wyoming they’d go almost every year when he was a kid, and she knew before he even asked that they’d go.

“We don’t have to if you’d prefer not to,” Scully said, worried that she’d stepped over some invisible line. Things had settled down in the months William had been with them, but moments would pop up now and again where she worried she’d said or done something wrong. On quiet nights, Mulder assured her it was part of being a mother--albeit fifteen years late--and while it wasn’t a feeling likely to go away anytime soon, she was trying to do her best despite any niggling doubts. His mentioning going to fairs with his adoptive parents suggested it was a special memory, and she was hesitant to suggest they go, fearing it might make him uncomfortable.

“Actually,” William replied, wiping at the condensation on his glass of water with his thumb. He wiped the moisture on his jeans and cleared his throat, stabbing at a few green beans on his plate before looking back up at her with a shrug. “I think it might be kind of fun.”

While she remained skeptical that going to a fair with his parents was any teenager’s idea of a good time, Scully told Mulder about her plan later that night, and the following weekend they all loaded up and headed to the fairgrounds. Being surrounded by flashing lights and music from the rides was a tad overwhelming at first, but the sight of William excitedly pointing toward one of the game booths was enough to bring her to her senses.

“Did I ever tell you guys that back in Wyoming I was on the basketball team? I even got the ball in the net from the middle of the court facing the opposite direction,” he said, walking backwards towards the booth. He cocked his head and pointed in Mulder’s direction. “You wanna play?”

In reality, shooting a ball through a tiny hoop on a wall wasn’t much like the actual game of basketball, but Scully leaned her hip against the booth and smiled, watching in amusement as William and Mulder raced to get more balls through the hoops as a timer slowly counted down.

When the timer started beeping loudly, Mulder took a step back, rolling his shoulders a couple of times. “Rematch?”

William elbowed him in the side and laughed. “So I can beat you again, old man?”

“Will is right, Mulder,” Scully teased. “You’ve gotten a bit slower in your old age.”

He could tell by the smirk on her face that her comment was about more than just basketball, not that either of them minded. He reached for his wallet, preparing to shell out the few bucks it cost for another round, but paused, eyeing William with suspicion. “Did you really get that ball into the basket facing backwards?”

William nodded and tossed one of the balls up in the air. “You think I made it up?”

“No, no...I was just curious,” Mulder replied. He started to fish the money out of his wallet before the man working the booth stopped him. “Is there a problem?”

The man shook his head, collecting the balls from where they’d fallen. “Not at all. It’s just that, well, y’all seem like a nice family. And it’s a slow night. If he can get the ball in the hoop not looking, the next round’s on the house. Maybe even score one of the top shelf.”

Mulder watched as the man pointed to the larger set of stuffed animals sitting up top, and while he suspected due to the angle William might not be able to make the shot, he knew winning wasn’t why they were playing in the first place. And truth be told, he wanted to see him do it. “Go ahead, Will. Dagoo needs a new toy anyway. I guess the slippers I left unattended the other day weren’t enough for him.”

Will turned around, closing his eyes and breathing in deep, before tossing the ball overhead, just barely making the shot. They played another round before electing to head around, passing a few more game booths and heading towards the rides. While he felt too old to ride some of them, he suggested the bumper cars, if for nothing more than to laugh at Mulder trying to cram himself into one of the tiny cars.

While Mulder declined going on the mini-rollercoaster with him, Scully was happy to volunteer, although as they stood in line she eyed the framework with skepticism. They double-checked the harnesses before starting the ride, she knew that. While she wasn’t afraid of heights by any means, the closer they got to the ride, the more she began to wonder how safe it was.

“Having second thoughts?” William asked, nudging her with his arm. ‘“I can ride by myself if you want, it’s not a big deal.”

She didn’t know if he was saying it as a challenge or genuinely trying to let her off the hook, but she shook her head, rubbing her arms as the wind kicked up. “No, I’m fine. There was a fair that used to come near my father’s base when I was a kid. My sister, Missy, dared the rest of us to see how many were brave enough to go on one called the Hurricane. It was about twice the size of this, and back then you didn’t have much more than a lap bar holding you in.”

“Did you go?” he asked, laughing. He kicked at the dirt, tracing lines in it with one foot, waiting until they line started moving again to look back at her. “You did, didn’t you?”

Scully nodded, watching as the last batch of people before them were being strapped in. “I did. Twice,” she replied. The ride started going and the fairgoers started letting out yelps as it began the first incline. If she closed her eyes, she could practically feel Missy clinging to her arm and hear the sounds of her sister saying how much she regretted daring her to come aboard. William reached out, resting his hand on her shoulder, breaking her train of thought. “Hmm?”

“Nothing. I just said that I was glad we came, that’s all,” William said, swaying towards her as he spoke. “I thought it was a good idea.”

He’d been at the house for nearly eight months, and while the first few weeks had been rough with both he and Mulder recovering, eventually they settled into a rhythm. It hadn’t been easy, figuring out where everyone stood, but they had begun to find their way. While she’d been hesitant to return to work, she also felt it important to continue researching the virus in hopes of another outbreak never happening. If it or a similar thing were to occur, Scully wanted to be ready, and so she’d spent a great deal of time doing research, when she and Mulder weren’t working a case. It seemed weird to go back to chasing would-be monsters down back alleys and solving child abductions that left no evidence, but she’d made Mulder swear they wouldn’t be going on any cross country trips until things settled down. The last thing she wanted was to leave William right after getting him back again. As such they spent weekends at the house, and the occasional trip to a movie or farmer’s market, but they’d yet to do many outings simply as a family. She smiled, pulling him close for just a moment. She resisted the urge to kiss him on the cheek, knowing teeangers didn’t appreciate such public displays of affection by their parents. “Me too, kid.”

“You know I’m taller than you, right?” William replied, hoping she knew he meant it as a joke. He’d sensed from the moment they met how strongly protective she was of him and how little fifteen years apart had done to change that. When he was younger, he’d had dreams of the red-headed woman who’d sing and rock him to sleep. It caught him off guard sometimes to know that she was real.

“It’s our turn, Will,” Scully said, squeezing his arm as she walked through the gate for the ride. “Let’s go.”

After the coaster, Scully suggested that they try something a bit more calm until her stomach settled, and so they decided to take a turn through an arts and crafts portion of the fair. They stopped at a few booths, and she couldn’t help but laugh at Mulder’s clear delight at seeing an alien garden gnome. “Mulder, do you honestly want to put that in our yard?”

“It’s hand-made, Scully! And accurate,” Mulder replied, only half joking.

“Go ahead and buy it then,” Scully said, crossing her arms to ward off the chill. Mulder and William had both thought to wear jackets, but in her hurry, she was left with only her sweater. It had been fine all evening, but as the sun was slipping below the horizon, she found herself getting cold. “But you’re the one carrying it. That thing looks heavy.”

Mulder asked the woman in the booth what the price was and handed the appropriate amount of cash over. He watched as the woman began packaging the statue up, taking several steps back until he stood behind Scully, before slipping his coat off and draping it over her shoulders. He planted a kiss against her temple and sighed as she leaned into him. “Better?”

She nodded, briefly closing her eyes as warmth leeched back into her skin. “Thank you,” she said, briefly turning her head to kiss his lips.

“Guys, people can see you,” William groaned.

The woman in the booth laughed, sliding a paper grocery bag containing the statue across the counter. “There’s nothing wrong with having parents who love each other. You folks have a nice night now.”

Scully felt a flutter at the mention of them being his parents. As Mulder muttered something about finding food, she pulled his jacket tighter around her, thinking of how the three of them must look to outsiders. True, they were a family, but one that had been broken and then carefully pieced back together. The metaphorical glue was still drying, but she thought it was nice that they could at least appear like a typical family to anyone who didn’t know the story.

“Fair food. Come on Scully, what’ll you have? Fried turkey leg? Corndog? Candied apple so you can at least pretend to eat healthy?” Mulder joked as they joined the line at a food booth. Colorful stickers detailed the different kinds of milkshakes and icees they provided, along with various fried items.

“Are those actual scorpions?” William asked, wrinkling his nose at a jar of lollipops containing the creatures that sat near the window.

“Don’t be so quick to judge, Will,” Mulder replied with a grin. “Did she ever tell you about the time she ate a live bug? At least the guys who made those poor scorpion pops had the decency to let them die somewhere in the process.”

“Mulder,” Scully cried. She rested a hand on his arm and was prepared to deny it, but the look of surprise mixed with something close to pride on William’s face was enough for her to decide against the lie. “I did. Yes. Luckily, my diet has changed since then.”

They walked up to the window, taking turns with their orders. Mulder teased her about getting kettle corn, saying it was one of the healthiest possible things the fair offered, but as she ate a handful before closing up the bag, Scully found she didn’t care. “I still think we should stop for pizza or something a bit more substantial on the way home,” she said as they began walking back to the car.

“Why?” Mulder asked, pulling a pile of bright blue spun sugar from the bag in his hands. He stopped for a second, chewing it while adjusting the bag containing the garden statue he bought under his arm.

Scully pointed at the food in both his and William’s hands. “Because, Mulder. Twinkies and cotton candy is not dinner!”

William eyed them cautiously, wondering if he should even bother trying to intervene. “Actually, pizza does sound kind of good.”

“See?” Scully said, stifling a laugh as they began walking again. “Smart kid. You get to pick the toppings.”

On the way to pick up the pizza, Mulder called to place their order. He ran inside to pick it up while Scully and William stayed in the car. When he got back in, Scully gently nudged him, gesturing to the back seat where William had stretched out his legs and had his head resting against the window. The fact that even as a teenager, he could be lulled to sleep on car rides was something she found amusing. She was almost hesitant to wake him up when they got home, but as the car pulled to a stop in front of the house, he jolted back awake.

They ate the pizza together in the living room, with William curled up in an armchair and Mulder and Scully on the couch. A movie played on the screen, but as the credits rolled and the pizza was nothing more than a couple pieces of crusts in the open box on the table, Scully glanced over at William and wasn’t surprised to see that he’d fallen back asleep. She studied him for a moment, greedily drinking in the way his auburn hair brushed against his forehead and the slightest hint of freckles that dusted his cheeks in a way she couldn’t when he was awake. As it turned out, teenagers didn’t much enjoy being stared at by their parents. She cleared her throat, reaching down to scratch Dagoo behind the ears as she spoke. “Hey Will, why don’t you head up to bed?”

William stirred, stretching his legs out and nearly kicking Dagoo in the process. He rubbed at his eyes, but it was clear when he stood up that it did nothing to wake him up. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Scully laughed, watching as he ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in every direction. “Did you have fun tonight?”

“I did, yeah. It was great,” William replied. He blinked a couple of times and stretched his arms out as he yawned. He padded over to the couch in his sock feet, leaning over to give Scully a hug. “Thanks for taking me.”

“Of course. Good night, honey,” Scully replied, somewhat amused at the way he was clearly fighting sleep. The overdose on sugar from the fair food coupled with the pizza was hitting him hard. “Do you need some help getting upstairs?”

William waved her hand away as he walked past the couch. “No, I’m good. Good night, guys. Love you.”

Before Scully had time to fully process what he said, William was already upstairs and out of sight. She sat frozen, listening to the sound of his bedroom door opening and closing, not breaking her concentration until she felt Mulder’s fingers massaging her neck. “Did he just--”  
“Yeah, he did,” Mulder replied, eyeing her profile. He’d remained quiet during the exchange, but the words William had said before heading to his room affected him just as much as he was sure they affected her. “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” Scully replied, blinking back the sheen of tears in her eyes. “I don’t suppose you’re ready for bed, too?” she asked, casually laying a hand on his thigh.

“Well,” Mulder said, a smile playing on his lips. He pulled his hand away from her neck and curled a tendril of her hair between his fingers. “I think that depends on your definition of bed.”

“Mulder,” she cried. His stubbled grated against her neck as he kissed a spot just below her ear. “You need to shave.”

“No shave November, baby!” Mulder exclaimed, lips brushing against her skin as he spoke.

“You do realize it’s still October, right?” she asked.

He rubbed his cheek against hers, if for nothing more than to hear her squeal and giggle at the sensation. The playful side of Scully didn’t come out often, but he loved when it did, and he liked being the reason. “What can I say, Scully, I don’t like to procrastinate. Come on, I believe you said something about bed,” he said, standing with sudden determination. He held out his hand to her, pulling her to her feet when she laced her fingers through his. “I’ll shave though, if you really want me to.”

Scully smiled, wrapping an arm around his waist. The thought crossed her mind of the dark months where he wouldn’t even wear different clothes so much as shave if she asked, but she quickly shook those memories away. So much had changed since then, and such things weren’t welcome. She thought of William sleeping soundly upstairs and of Mulder standing firm beside her, and she felt warmer than she had in a long time. “No,” she said, squeezing his hand tightly as she leaned up to kiss him. “You can keep it for now.”


End file.
